Metallic strap for boxes



(ModeL) B. H. GEDGE. METALLIC STRAP FOR BOXES.

Patented May 21 BURTON ll. GEDGE, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

METALLIC STRAP FOR BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,530, dated May 21,1889.

Application filed May 12, 1888. Serial No. 274,349. (Modeh) T0 aZZ whomit may concern.-

Be it known that I, BURTON II. GEDGE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of (ovingtom in the county of Kenton andState of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMetallic Straps for Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the advantages arising fromtheir use 0011- jointly or otherwise will be apparent from the followingdescription.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a view of a wire or strap embodying my invention. Fig. 2 representsa box wrapped with my improved box-strap. Fig. 3 is a sectional Viewillustrating the preferred means for holding the strapping in place.Fig. 4. is a sectional view illustrating my improved corner-strap and ameans for holding it in place on the corner of a box. Fig. 5 representsa box provided with my improved corner-strap. Fig. 6 rep resents a topview of a corner-strap after it is bent and a staple has been applied toit. Fig. 7 represents a metallic strap embodying those of myimprovements which directly pertain to the strap.

\Vre A, of indefinite length, is indented at intervals more or lessregular, forming the notches a, which are preferably as deep as thethickness of the wire. It is intended that wire so prepared shall be putup on reels or into bundles of any desired kind to be used. in bindingboxes, like the ordinary sheet-iron ribbon in common use. In using thiswire it is wrapped tightly around'the box, being cut off at the properlength. To hold the wire binding in place, nails or staples areemployed. The preferable form of nail to be employed is that shown inthe drawings and indicated by the letter B. This nail B consists'of ashank, 7), and a looped top, I), which preferably terminates in apointed extremity, b

\Vhen the nails B are used, they are so placed that the loops 1)encircle the wire A at notches a. By this means the notches a of thesaid wire or strap are forced into the wood of the box, and the tops ofthe nails come flush with the top of the wire and with the outer surfaceof the box. For use about corners only, short pieces of the wire D aretaken.

Each piece between two notches a should be flattened out, as shown at(Z, for purposeshereinafter mentioned. Its ends (1' are also turned downand sharpened.

In use these corner-straps D are applied as shown more particularly inFig. 4-that is, one half is fixed to one side of the box by a nail, B,and by having its end (1, if so provided, driven into the wood. Theother half is then bent down to the other side of the boxa maneuverwhich is readily accomplished, because the flattened and flexible partdcomes at the edge of the box. The bending over of the strap does notinjure the edge of the box, as it would if the wire were not flattened,but fits snugly around the edge and serves to protect it. The point (1of the limb or half portion of this corner-iron last attached to the boxenters the wood at an angle, (see the limb as shown by dotted lines inFig. 4,) and in being driven to place draws the corner d of the ironclose to the corner of the box, thereby causing the corner-iron tosnugly fit the box.

It may be here remarked that in practice little or no space is presentbetween the wire and the outer surface of the box.

In Figs. 2, at, and 5 some space between the wire and box is shown toprevent confusion in the lines of the drawings and to enable thedrawings to be more readily understood.

The use of awire instead of a flat strip-as hoop-ironis in itselfavaluable feature. The wire is more compact and stronger for the spaceit covers, exposes less surface for rust, and by its lateral flexibilitycan be readily flexed suffieiently to enable the notches a to dodge thenails already in the box. The straps provided with the notches a andpoints (1 may be of any desired length. Such straps of proper length togo part way around the box or encompass it one or more times are to beused as desired or needed. Such a strap is in general illustrated on adiminished scale in Fig. 7. The flattened spaces (Z shown in Fig. 4: maylikewise be present in the longer lengths of strap, as well as in theshort straps or corner-irons.

\Vhen for any reason it becomes desirable, the point or points (1 of thestrap may be omitted and the strap with its corrugations a be used, asaforedescribed but I prefer to employ the points (1 in connection, asthe strap thus makes a more perfect binding-piece.

Whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a package, a binding-wire provided with notches orcorrugations at, the said corrugations being embedded in the same plane,in combination with a package and staples driven into the package acrossthe corrugations, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of a package and a corner-strap of Wire provided Withpointed ends d and corrugations a, the pointed ends and corrugationsbeing embedded in the package, and staples crossed in the corrugations,

G. A corner-strap of Wire provided With pointed ends d and corrugationsa, lying in the same plane, and a central flattened space,

d, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

' BURTON H. GEDGE.

Attest:

A. S; L'UDLoW, G. A. W. PAVER.

30 substantially as and for the purposes speci-

